Among Blue Giants
by CharrBrent
Summary: Connor Wilson is the adopted human son of Jake and Neytiri. This is a story of his adventure on Pandora. Connor Wilson is OCC. First four chapters edited to explain some things, with potentially more edits.
1. Team Player

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Avatar, it belongs to James Cameron.

**A/N:** The main characters of Avatar will be featured prominently here. Keep in mind that this is 21 years after the RDA was banished. I tried to keep Jake and Neytiri as non-OCC as possible. Jake and Neytiri would be in their forties, although they still look wonderful. Maybe a healthy lifestyle, unlike that of many earthlings, is responsible for that. :)

* * *

**Just a typical day:**

_Life couldn't be worse._

After running a few more steps, 29 year old Connor Wilson collapsed on the soft Pandoran moss, panting. His heart was pounding heavily, and his lungs were strained from his heavy breaths. Perspiration soaked his overalls; he felt as if he was wearing a wet suit. His exo-pack was fogged by his breathing. _I can't go on._ Connor lay there, waiting. A veteran of Pandora, he knows the dangers of letting his guard down in the forest. But after such an intensive run, his impulsive and immediate desire for relief overpowered his mind. _Fuck it! It's over. It's over._

A large blue foot suddenly stepped before his face. Neytiri, his adopted mother, stood above Connor, shaking her head in disappointment. "You must keep up the pace, my Connor. Quitting is weakness, and weakness is death. You will not die, not if I can help it."

But Connor felt finished. There was no point in continuing this endurance run. For the past month, Neytiri had been forcing him undertake weekly cardiovascular tests that would have been challenging for a Na'vi hunter, not to mention a human. He felt like his physical limit was already reached. Now, he wanted nothing more than to have Neytiri cradle him back to Hometree and get some much needed sleep. "_Sa'nok_, it's not that I don't have will; it's that I don't have the ability."

Neytiri looked at Connor and sighed. "Son, it's the fact that you think about your limit that prevents you from going on."

Connor was unconvinced. He looked at Neytiri's beautiful, lithe figure with jealousy and frustration. Her perpetual beauty and strength has always fascinated him, and her wisdom from her 40 years of life experience never stopped increasing. Connor was angry at his own physical disadvantage. _Being human really sucks when it comes to physical strength. _It was one of the few days that he could spend some time with Neytiri, and he hated to disappoint his beloved mother with his weakness.

The man reflected his life so far. Given his current fatigue, it was hard to believe that he actually wanted to be on the planet when he was young. _I actually wanted to live on this world…_


	2. Contingency

**21 years ago:**

The man was only a young child of 8 when he was shipped to Pandora. Much to his luck, by the time his ISV arrived at the alien planet, the remnants of the defeated RDA was already a month into their trip back to Earth. Because ISV's needed a month to gather deuterium fuel from Polymephus, the humans temporarily inhabited Hells Gate under the close supervision of the scientists and the Na'vi.

After a month, the humans walked single file towards the Valkyrie shuttle. They were flanked by armed Na'vi guards and scientists holding assault rifles. Connor felt small and disappointed. He had wanted to go to Pandora since he saw it on Discovery Channel documentaries. Posts of the RDA about their 25 year history in Pandora only fueled his desire for the lush planet. In his mind, Pandora was mirror image of the Earth's former self. Unfortunately, he knew that his young age would prevent him from embarking on a trip on the ISV.

As his luck would have it, his parents were killed in a driving accident. For Connor, it was a bittersweet moment. Being a child of a couple who both work, he never had any real attachment for his biological parents. That didn't stop him from shedding tears as he watched two cardboard caskets enter the cremation building.

An orphan and a dreamer, Connor immediately signed up for the RDA's Pandoran Youth program. Advertised as an educational program for young kids to experience the future of energy, the program has been blackmailed by various juvenile advocates. The RDA's real intention was to make a sustainable human biosphere on the alien planet, and juveniles were perfect test subjects for such an experiment. However, the constant unregulated stream of propaganda contradicted with the claims of the critics, and the Pandoran Youth program went on. Being an orphan with no parent to restrain him, Connor was easily recruited. When he was a child, Connor watched fascinating videos of Pandora and of the Na'vi on televised screens.

Connor felt sad and disappointed. The very species that he admired was forcing him back to his dying world. He looked up at the ex-human Jake Sully; the corporal was often branded as a traitor to mankind. To Connor, however, he represented hope; hope that humans like himself can truly become one of the People. Without a thought, the boy ran right up to Jake. He blurted out loudly, "I want to be with Na'vi."

Jake looked at him with pity, but his goal was resolute. "Sorry kid, we don't want any more humans. Get yourself back in line."

When Connor refused to budge, he stood there, looking defiantly at Jake. Sighing, Jake picked up the boy like featherweight and forced him back in line. "Stay there," he commanded in an authoritative tone.

Connor looked at Jake with genuine hurt in his eyes. He defiantly walked up to the blue man, tears dripping down to the black ring around his exo-pack. Jake glared at the boy. "Move." When Connor didn't follow his order, Jake repeated his command, louder this time. "Move." When Connor ignored Jake's order for a fifth time, he lost his patience. He leveled his assault rifle at the boy. "Listen kid. It's not my god damn choice. You get your ass on that shuttle right now!"

Connor looked at him, eyes red from the tears, but he refused to budge. Then, he saw a gorgeously beautiful woman walking towards Jake. She held down his assault rifle and said, "Ma Jake, let him be. I'll take care of him."

Jake frowned, and then walked away. Neytiri kneeled down until she was level with the boy. She stared intently into the boy with her beautiful golden eyes. "What is your name?" she crooned gently.

"Connor. Connor Wilson."

"Connorwilson...Connor," she repeated, smiling at the name, "It's nice meeting you." She paused before introducing herself. "I'm called Neytiri Dis'kahan Mo'at'itey. You just call me as Neytiri."

Despite her accent and occasional grammar slips, Connor likes her voice. Neytiri's voice is truly unique among both the Na'vi and the Humans. She has an inherently deep tone, with a husky edge to it. If she ever sang, she would have failed miserably at it. Yet there's something truly genuine, comforting, and seductive about her rough voice. Connor recognized Neytiri even before she talked to him. She was regarded as a local princess of a clan known as the Blue Flute Clan. She was devastatingly beautiful, but can also be gentle, like the way she was treating Connor at that moment. He couldn't help but ask her.

"Are you really a princess?"

Neytiri laughed softly. "Oh, if that's what my position is equal to in your world, then yes; you may call me a princess."

Connor calmed himself enough to ask his burning question to Neytiri. "Can I please stay on this world? My parents are long gone, and this world is my wish. I promise I won't be any trouble." His heart almost stopped. From the look on Neytiri's face, he knew that she was in a serious dilemma. After what seemed like an eternity, she spoke.

"Yes, son. Eywa sees good in you." She put her hand over the boy's heart, feeling each rapid beat. "You may stay with us." She smiled gently. Connor looked at her in awe. Neytiri is absolutely beautiful in every way, but her smile makes her shine like a goddess. The world seemed to spin around him; or maybe it was just his own heart pounding faster.

After a few words, Jake agreed to let the boy join the Omaticaya. Neytiri looked at Connor with sparkling eyes. She whispered to Jake, "He is the Sky People's chance, and our chance."

Jake was puzzled. "Our chance? Why do you say that?"

A flicker of sadness flashed across Neytiri's countenance. "You know what your scientists said. You're a true Na'vi, yet you are not. You dreamwalker body does not permit me to have a child." She gestured towards Connor. "The boy is our chance. Our chance for a child."

Jake came to a realization. He and his mate were pained when Dr. Max Patel informed them that the avatar genome and native Na'vi genome was too distinct for sexual reproduction with each other. Neytiri, usually upbeat and happy, tried to distract herself and Jake from that fact. In her mind, Jake was the love of his life; her inability to bear a child would not stop her from being with the _olo'eyktan_. It was his spirit that really matter; that fearless, passionate, and loving spirit that she felled so hard for. Nothing will change that. Nothing will pull her away from him. Young Connor is the opportunity to mend their sorrow.

"Connor," Neytiri called to the boy, "Come. Please come."

The boy approached the towering Amazon cautiously. Despite her beauty and loving attitude, Neytiri was a powerful warrior, elegantly built and graceful. Despite her average size, she was intimidating for even many Na'vi men, much less the humans.

Neytiri smiled at the boy. "We will train you like of the people, and you will prosper." Neytiri picked Connor up and cradled him, holding the boy against her chest. Under the gentle rocking of her warm body, Connor fell asleep.


	3. Prospering

**Growing up as a Na'vi:**

Over the next few years, Connor learned and trained under the Omaticaya. Just like how Jake and Neytiri view him as their son, he truly treated them as his mother and father. Although he loved them very much, Connor only saw his parents at night, when they return from hunting and other assorted responsibilities that a Na'vi _taronyu_ must take. During most of the day, Connor spent most of his time around other Na'vi children and around Mo'at, the Tsahik of the clan. He enjoyed listening to Mo'at's mysterious stories and talks of wisdom. Although the other children treated him nicely and considered him to be one of their own, he still felt left out; his size made it difficult for him to play the games that other Na'vi children enjoy, and he was largely ignored by the rest of the kids.

Connor truly felt warm and alive when Jake and Neytiri return in the evening. Jake would pick him up and twirl with him in joy, and throw amusing jokes. Dinner would be served, and he would hang out with his friends and share casual jokes with each other. At night, on the hammock, Neytiri would tell him bedtime stories and gently rock him. He would quietly fall asleep in the middle of a story; using Neytiri's body as a bed.

It was also during the evening that Connor learned his language. Despite being a part of the Omaticaya clan, Connor learned English first. His parents insist that he shouldn't remember his origins. He would spend his evenings near his hammock doing countless exercises, expanding his vocabulary, memorizing words, and improving his critical reading from old SAT books. Every once in a while, he would visit Hells Gate for a few days and talk to the remaining marines and scientists in his native tongue. Although the language was fun and beautiful in its own way, he was never devoted to learning it. To him, it was a language that was used for intriguing ceremonial talks with his mother and father only.

His true interest, however, was learning Na'vi. To him, the language is much more useful and elegant; there were no unnecessarily awkward sentence structures and confusing grammar. The language felt _alive_. It was also useful for practical reasons; aside from Jake, Mo'at, and Neytiri, few Na'vi kids spoke fluent English.

Every once in a while, Jake and Neytiri would take him along to Hells Gate to visit the scientists and the few marines who were permitted to remain on the planet. Jake and Neytiri would often bring fresh kills to supplement the human's rather bland diet of algae-based rations. In return, the scientists would provide them with computers and electronics. A few of the Na'vi, especially the younger, more curious ones, gradually became interested in human academic subjects, and often borrowed PDA computers and books from the scientists. Some scientists, like Dr. Max Patel and Dr. Norm Spellman, would hold classes, not unlike those that Dr. Grace Augustine used to lead, to teach the natives English, science, and other human academics. At his parents' insistence, Connor also attended these classes and learned to use the computer and other technology associated with the _tawtute_.

When Connor was 15, he was deemed big enough to wield a bow. Although Neytiri guided his first steps in wielding the timeless weapon, she was usually busy with hunting; it was Beyral who usually taught him this art. As time passed, Connor's dexterity with the weapon increased. Despite his small size and drawing power, he eventually became one of the most accurate and deadly archers in the clan.

Connor was also trained in the usage of guns. Jake taught him how to hold a pistol and an assault rifle effectively and how to steady his aim. Having a firearm makes Connor feel uncomfortable; he tried to conceal the holster under his shirt and hid it as much as possible. Except for Jake and the occasionally visiting scientists, no other person on Pandora possessed guns. He simply took it as a necessary tool to compensate for his small size compared to the Na'vi.

Because he lacked a queue, he could never bond with an _ikran_ and truly become a _taronyu_. However, every once in a while, Jake would offer him a ride on his own ikran and let him take the shot at the prey. Connor would feel triumphant as he helped butcher the animal, with the rest of the hunters cheering him on.

It was a good life, and time flashed by quickly. Before he knew it, he was already a fully matured man in his late twenties, a part of the prospering clan and the son of a powerful father and a beautiful mother.

_Life couldn't be better..._


	4. Exodus

**Test of will:**

"Ma Connor? Wake up! You still didn't finish your work." Neytiri's voice rang inside his head.

Connor slowly opened his eyes. It was late at night, and all of the clan were asleep, with Jake was snoring in his hammock in the canopy of Hometree. Neytiri had just returned from the nearby river, cleaning his spare exo-pack filters and tubes. Connor must change filters and air tubes every 2 weeks. After a long day of exercise and academics, he was drowsy, and he wanted sleep. "Mom, what the hell?"

Neytiri looked at her son. "You must finish with your mathematics. This is important for your future career. You will pass down the wonder of numbers to future generations. Math is timeless; it is right no matter what world we are in. Eywa blessed us with this art, and we can't let it fade away."

Neytiri has been particularly fond of mathematics. There was a surreal beauty in the way formulas and concepts can explain the many mysteries in nature. She marveled at the beautiful relationships between different formulas. _Thank you Eywa for the beauty of numbers. _

Neytiri has always been curious, and that curiosity allowed her to learn quickly. When she was a young child, she and her older sister Sylwanin picked up the English language at a lightning quick pace, faster than the rate at which Dr. Grace Augustine could teach. When her passionate nature is combined with her inherent thoughtfulness, Neytiri is an academic juggernaut. Neytiri has always been fascinated by numbers, and when Dr. Max Patel offered to teach her and several other Na'vi advanced levels of math, she was eager to learn. She enjoyed using the spare time every night to solve math problems that Patel downloaded from the internet. By now, with almost 20 years of mathematical experience under her belt, Neytiri's knowledge of mathematics is as good as any college math professor on planet Earth.

"I'm finished_, sa'nok_, just look at my work." Connor handed Neytiri his PDA and digital pen. With the long mutual relationship between the scientists and the Omaticaya, some curious young clan members expressed interest in technology. Among the few things that the scientists introduced to the Na'vi is the PDA computer. With this device, for the first time in Pandoran history, the Na'vi are putting their thoughts into written matter. Connor watched her mother scan the translucent screens with her golden orbs. The blue tint of the screen glowed an eerie blue light that blended with her smooth cobalt skin. He wasn't sure whether to feel proud or tired of his work. His mother was a perfectionist, and was difficult to satisfy in anything. In math, it's either all right or wrong, no partial credit. After long hours of problem solving, his eyelids were heavy, and he felt that his brain has reached the pinnacle of its processing power.

Connor felt indignant. Since he was a young boy, his adopted mother had always been patient when teaching him, regardless of whether the subject is math, hunting, survival, or language. As he grew older, Neytiri became less and less patient, making Connor feel uneasy. When he questioned her attitude, she would reply that a man in his twenties should know that he's "not a baby by now," despite his small human size. He didn't like that answer, but he could do nothing. He also noted that his mother's tone changed when talking to him. It sounded like she was talking to a fellow adult. She was talking to a _man_.

He was physically and mentally strained. Recently, during the days that she could spend time with him, Neytiri would push him on endurance runs and hikes. Traversing through the Pandoran jungle in his human form is good enough, but Neytiri was relentless. She would pressure Connor to the point of collapse, and only then would she cradle her _tawtute_ son and carry him back to Hometree. Despite Connor's exhaustion, she insisted that he finish his academic homework. In Connor's mind, Neytiri was now less of a mother than a military drill instructor.

Connor and his mother were the only two left in the base of the tree; everyone else retired to their hammocks in the canopy above. The bonfire from dinner was still glowing embers. After inspecting the PDA for a minute, Neytiri shook her head in exasperation and smacked Connor on the side of his head, just like how she used to smack Jake for failing to learn his lessons.

"Son, you're making the same mistake for many days now: you rounded off the exponents here. Your subsequent calculations are useless!"

"I forgot how to do them when they're in fractions!" Connor said defensively.

Neytiri rolled her eyes, a trait she picked up from Jake. "You use logarithms, _skxawng._ How can you forget that!"

Frustrated by his stupidity, he looked up into the sky and moaned, "Logarithms."

Looking back at Neytiri, Connor didn't hide his disgust. "Who needs to know math?" his anger was piping up. "Only a few of the People know anything beyond simple arithmetic. Ninat doesn't pressure her kids to learn math like she did. What I've learned is good enough!"

Neytiri dilated eyes narrowed; she hissed at her son. However, Connor wasn't fazed. He continued, "_Sempul,_ he's the _olo'eyktan_, but he doesn't know much math either. It's only you and the other females who are crazy about numbers! _Numbers!_ Instead of letting me practice with my bow and arrow or join the big hunt with you today, you torture me with _numbers!_" For emphasis, he hissed that last word from his teeth.

Connor wasn't doing too well in calculus. He never liked math, and only learned it because his _sa'nok_ insisted on making him "academically competitive in all fields." Unlike the previous math that he learned, calculus is significantly harder to comprehend. In the last few nights, Neytiri's pushing and constant criticism of his incorrect graphing methods drove him to the brink of tears. His confidence was shattered. _This is too hard. I can't grasp anymore of this._

Neytiri knelled down to gaze at Connor with her large golden eyes. Her beautiful face now looks intimidating and angry; Connor felt like she could see directly into his soul. She knew how Connor felt about being a human among the towering Na'vi. He was disadvantaged physically, and couldn't keep up with his friends when moving on foot. Neytiri felt sorry for her son. As a mother, she wanted Connor to succeed, to be able to join the rest of the men. To do this, however, she knew that Connor must undergo intense training. As one of the best hunters in the clan, Neytiri was difficult to satisfy and her regimen for her son is particularly demanding. Put that on top of the academics that was piled him, Connor was stressed to his limits. Neytiri could sympathize with his exhaustion, but his lack of will was making her very angry, just like how he is right now. She sensed the feeling to quit in him, and promptly smacked him on the side of his head again.

Unfortunately, Connor's breaking point was breached by that smack. Tears flowed from his eyes and down his cheek. The dark airtight ring around his exo-pack felt soggy; frustration and impulsiveness clouded his judgment. "You're not my _sa'nok_, not my mother! I HATE YOU! Get away from me!"

He tearfully bolted past Neytiri and ran out of the entrance of Hometree and into the untamed jungle. Surprise and regret ran through Neytiri's mind. _What have I done!?_ She dropped the PDA and ran after her son. "Ma Connor, stop! Please!"

Her son had slipped out of sight. She raced down the steps, desperately trying to get a visual on him. For a human, Connor ran at a blisteringly rapid rate. His legs were filled with previously untapped reserves of energy and adrenaline.

Connor continued to run; he was sick of his mother's unforgiving attitude. _This isn't how a mother should treat her child. This is unfair._ "Ma Connor!" Neytiri cried out, desperately trying to get her precious son back. "Please! I'm sorry!"

Connor's fast speed was bittersweet. As he ran from Hometree and into the forest, he felt his lack of external equipment. It reminded him that he is going to the jungle without any survival tools, extra exo-pack filters, or food. He knew that he couldn't possibly outrun Neytiri. Yet he ran. He ran until his legs gave out. As he collapsed on the forest floor, he heard Neytiri's rapidly approaching footsteps. _Get away from me! _Without a second thought, he grabbed a jagged stick and rammed it towards Neytiri with all of his might. He heard he mother cry in pain. He turned around to see her clutching her right shoulder, with scarlet blood slowly dripping down her arm. He couldn't bear to look at her.

"Connor."

He was surprised at his mother's calm and soothing tone. "My son, I'm sorry. Please come back. You are tired and you need rest." His indignation got the better of him. With a heartbreaking tone, he yelled at her, "GET AWAY! You were never my mother, and you never will be! I hate this planet. I wish that you are dead!"

Connor closed his eyes, expecting harsh reprimand for his terrible statement. The deadly beautiful Amazon could easily eliminate him. Again, he was surprised at Neytiri's soft tone. "My Connor, I know you are angry. Please don't get angrier. I love you, and I want you to be a good man. To succeed."

Neytiri tried to smile, but she rocked on her feet unsteadily. Blood continued to flow from her right shoulder; she looked like she was suffering from a severed artery. She looked at the gash on her shoulder, and then back at Connor. For a while, her son tried to read her emotions. It contained sadness, regret, love, care, and remorse. Neytiri collapsed on her knees, feeling lightheaded from the loss of blood. Her vision became blurred, and she slurred her next words. "Connor, come back to Hometree. I'm sorry. Please. Please…" She closed her eyes before slumping on her back, unconscious.

Connor looked at the stick in his hand. It dawned to him that the sharp tip contained a black, oily fluid. A realization dawned to him. _It's toxic._

After he saw _atokirina's_ dropping towards Neytiri's body, panic raced through his mind. _Did I kill her? My sa'nok?_ His moral conscience screamed at him. _You're an idiot Connor! Help you mother. The only reason she acts like that is that she loves you._ More and more _atokinina's_ were floating toward her. Noticing this sign from Eywa, he was certain that his mother perished. Connor's mind was full of indecision. _This didn't happen! It's not real! _Guided by his instinct, guilt, and fear of reprimand, he turned around and ran as hard as he could away from Neytiri and Hometree, leaving her to die from the poison and bleeding. Guilt ran through his blood. _Please Eywa, guide the people to my mother. She isn't ready to go to you yet._

Before long, Connor's legs gave out again. Realizing that he was already too far for the Omaticaya to find him at night, he crawled under a gnarl of roots for shelter and closed his eyes. He felt alone, isolated, and scared. He longed for his mother's large warm body as he slowly closed his eyes.

_Tonight was like a dream…_


	5. Loose Ends

**Regret:**

The sky was pink from the predawn sunlight. Gradually, the rising sun's light overshined the blue glow from the gas giant Polymephus. It was a beautiful and peaceful early morning sight.

Opening his eyes, Jake yawned and rolled in his hammock. _A little more snooze, and it's time to do today's duty_. Jake felt an absence in his hammock. He realized that Neytiri wasn't in their shared dwelling. Jake wasn't terribly worried; his mate was an early riser, and usually got up while he was still fast asleep. It was when he noticed that Connor was also missing that the sleep waves instantly burned off. _What could a mother and son be doing this early in the morning?_

Jake stretched and descended down the spiral stairs of Hometree. As he walked down the base, he saw Connor's spare exo-pack filters and tubes lying near the ashes of the bonfire. He noticed a PDA that was tossed on the ground. _Strange, Connor usually isn't the one to throw his stuff around._

After an intense hunt from the previous day, Jake and his _taronyu_ were ready to take a well deserved break. He smiled as he imagined his clan members passing time singing, hanging out, relaxing near the river, or even playing with their personal computers. And his beautiful mate and beloved son would be home soon.

He smiled.

* * *

Connor woke up with a stinging sensation on his knees. _Geez it's dark. Why am I not in my hammock?_ Without anyone to wake him, he slept until the sun was already bright in the sky. He lay there, enjoying his snooze, and trying to figure out what happened. _Stupid math. I got into an argument with sa'nok over that shit._

Connor crawled out of the gnarl of roots, and realized that he was deep in the wild Pandoran jungle. _How the hell did I get here?_ He looked at his blue tiger camouflaged overalls. _Did I sleep walk all the way here?_ He was thirsty and unusually drowsy. He could seriously call his mother to get him a cup of water and some berries for a light breakfast. _Mother…Mother! Neytiri!_

Memories of his escape from Hometree flashed in his memory. He remember Neytiri dropping on the ground, unconscious from blood loss and the poison from the sharp stick that he stabbed her shoulder with. By this time, his mother could have bled to death already. _What have I done. Damn. I wish this is just a dream. Just a goddamned dream._

He refused to accept reality. It was an act of defiance; Connor simply couldn't fathom what went in his head last night. He refused to believe that he did something so horrible to his own loved one. He couldn't think about last night. It was as if Eywa herself forced a nightmare out his head and turned it into reality. _No, it's not reality; not if it didn't happen. It didn't happen. It just didn't happen._

In self-denial, he wandered aimlessly in the forest. Nothing was going on in his brain right now. He was unresponsive to his hunger. He just walked on, his mind and his stomach empty, empty, empty.

* * *

When Neytiri and Connor still didn't return by noon, Jake became worried. He hastily assembled his hunters and divided them into search parties. He consulted Mo'at, the Tsahik.

"Jakesully, you seek me?" Mo'at's enigmatic voice always made it hard determine what she was thinking. Jake only nodded as he approached her on the raised platform in the base of Hometree. "You seek my daughter."

Jake was used to Mo'at being able to read his thoughts as clearly as day. "Yes, mother. I haven't seen my mate since the conclusion of the hunt yesterday, and I have no idea where my son is. I seek your guidance right now."

Mo'at stared down at Jake. An old but powerful woman, she was more or less the power-breaker of the clan. Most of the Omaticaya found her intimidating, even though she was highly respected. She possessed an insightful and thoughtful mind not unlike that of her daughter.

"I predict great burden for your son, Jakesully. You and my daughter will go through a cycle of regret and redemption. Follow your feelings. Eywa shall guide you to my daughter. Finding your son, I'm afraid it will be very difficult."

Jake took Mo'at's cryptic answer and expressed his gratitude. He then went to his search parties. After assigning them to a local area of the forest, he mounted on a _pa'li_ and galloped into the forest.

* * *

"Neytiri?" Jake called to the prone figure on lying on the moss of the forest floor. A closer look at the body confirmed his suspicion.

"Neytiri!" Jake raced frantically to his mate. After two hours of patrolling in the forest, he finally found her. His golden eyes nearly popped out of his skull when he saw dried blood on her right shoulder. _Shit! What the hell happened?!_ Jake cradled her limp form on his lap, shaking her gently, trying to elicit any signs of life. The few _atokirina's_ floating near her body gently floated away. His initial efforts were in vain as Neytiri remained motionless. Tears emerged from Jake's eyes, and he was ready to make a prayer to Eywa for his beautiful mate. _It's been a good life with you, Neytiri. Please rest well._

A motion stirred from her body.

Jake's heart skipped a beat. He bent down to Neytiri's chest to feel her heartbeat. It was weak, and slow, but it was certainly there. Jake picked her up and ran to a nearby stream, and splashed cold water over her face. Her coughs brought him relief. _She's breathing. She's alive._ Slowly but surely, Neytiri opened her eyes. For a moment, her pupils contracted from the sunlight, and she blinked hard to clarify her vision. The blue figure above her head made her smile a weak smile.

"Jake…"

"Neytiri!" Jake said, splashing more water on her. He quickly ran to his direhorse and laid Neytiri on her back before the mount of the horse. Mentally urging the _pa'li_ on, he raced back to Hometree, where an anxious crowd awaits him.

Jake raced up the spirals of the tree and set Neytiri down on their hammock. He summoned Mo'at, who immediately began to treat her wound with herbs and other medicines.

Jake knelt beside his mate. "Neytiri, what happened?"

Tears came from her eyes. "Jake…Connor, he ran. I'm sorry Jake, I'm sorry."

"Neytiri, what exactly happened to Connor? Were you attacked by something?"

"Ma Jake, I tried teaching our Connor math. He was doing things wrong. I wanted to correct him. I wanted him to understand, to See his mistake. He couldn't listen. He just suddenly ran after I hit him for his mistakes. I'm sorry Jake. This is my fault."

Neytiri continued to cry as memories of the previous night played in her head. _Neytiri you skxawng! Why were you so stubborn?_ She wanted to kick herself for her rash and unforgiving actions. She felt terribly guilty. She was so harsh on her son, her baby, and her impatience resulted in the her loss. It didn't matter that he was a Sky Person. It never mattered. Neytiri knew she loved people for who they are. Connor was a human and was under intense pressure. He had already been stressed out from her physical regimen and was in no shape to do deep cognitive thinking. Her conscience screamed at her. _Of course he's going to make mistakes! How could you be so harsh for that?_

"Neytiri," Jake said to her gently, "Please don't worry about this now. You need to rest for a few days. Get some sleep. I'll find our son. I promise." He picked up her left hand and kissed it gently.

"_Sa'nok?_" Neytiri asked Mo'at. "Please forgive me. I've wrong my child. I've wronged Eywa. Please. How can I get my son, my Connor back?"

Mo'at's expression was grave. "Ma _'ite_, undoing a wrong requires time and patience. I cannot see what Eywa has in mind for you and your child. I can only see a difficult struggle in the wild for Connorwilson. You will also suffer inside. You heart will be wounded, and it will take a lot to patch that wound. My advice is to pray to Eywa, and let life go on. Continue with your duty, and someday, Connor may return to you. I myself don't have many days until I visit Eywa. You are a strong woman, my daughter. You will interpret the will of Eywa. You will continue to lead hunts with Jakesully. But you will not give up. Eywa won't let Connorwilson die without reason, without a chance. Follow your heart. See what signs Eywa gives you." Mo'at sighed. "That is all I can say. It is up to you to heal the mental wound. It will be a journey for you as well as for your son." She stopped talking and resumed treating Neytiri's should injury.

The pain in Neytiri's heart is indescribable; her mother's prediction of Connor having to face the unpredictable Pandoran jungle sent chills down Neytiri's bones. _He has no food, no tools, not even extra exo-pack filters!_ Her tears returned, and she began mourning for her son's death. _This is all your fault, Neytiri, all your fault. _She couldn't even feel Jake's comforting touch. All she felt was emptiness, and a sense of guilt that would never disappear from her heart. Her heart sank, and sank, and sank.

In her mind, it wasn't a question of the possibility of Connor's death; it was a question of when.

_How could you, Neytiri, how could you…_


End file.
